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Fractures Information

Fractures Information

The average person will fracture at least two bones during a lifetime. There are 206 bones in a normal human body. So, fractures, just based on the number of potential bones that can be fractured, tends to be a complicated medical subject.

What’s The Purpose Of Bones?

If not for skeletal bones, the human body wouldn’t be supported against gravity or be able to produce fluid movements. Bones in the torso and skull provide vital protection for the more fragile organs of the body. The flat bones of the body, such as in the pelvis and ribs, contain bone marrow, a soft substance found inside of bones, that forms new red and white blood cells.

What’s A Fracture?

Fracture is the medical term used to describe broken or cracked bones. The term “break” is often confusing since many will automatically envision the bone literally breaking into two pieces, when this isn’t always the case. For complete clarity, a fracture should be described as a break in the normal continuity of a bone.

What Causes Fractures To Happen?

Bone fractures are most often the result of a trauma to the bone that‘s exerted with force that’s stronger than the bone itself is. This trauma can come in the form of unnatural twisting motion or striking the bone during a fall, sporting accident, car accident, and so forth.

However, certain disease processes can greatly contribute to a bone being more susceptible to fracture; for example, osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease and osteoporosis. Age, in general, also plays a role since childhood and aged bones are more prone to fracturing from events that usually don‘t injure other age groups.

One specific type of fracture, a stress fracture, is the product of overuse. A stress fracture produces very small cracks in the bone.

What Are The Symptoms Of Fractures?

* Limited mobility or inability to move the body part associated with the affected bone.
* A deformed, misshapen, or not in normal position body part associated with the affected bone
* An obvious bone protruding through the skin
* Localized swelling
* Localized bleeding
* Localized bruising
* Moderate to intense pain, all depending on how many nerve endings surrounding the bone become irritated or injured
* Numbness
* Tingling
* Muscles surrounding the fractured bone may spasm as they try to compensate to hold the affected bone fragments in place.

How Are Fractures Classified?

The above might sound simple enough, but fractures fall into a number of different categories based on a variety of points. Further complicating matters is that there are innumerable classification systems used in orthopedic medicine to describe fractures. Many surgeons follow the five point code classification system of The Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA). It is as follows:

1. Bone - a set code is used to describe the bone involved. For example, a femur fracture is coded with the number 3, a spine fracture is coded with the number 5, a humerus fracture is coded with the number 1.

2. Location - a set code is used to label the part of the bone involved in the fracture. In most cases, this is either proximal, distal, or diaphyseal.

3. Type - this classification will describe if the fracture is multifragmentary (fracture fragments are displaced) or simple (fracture fragments are still in normal anatomic placement) and closed (fractured bone remains inside the skin) or open (fractured bone protrudes outside the skin and/or there‘s an opening in the skin near the fractured bone).

4. Group - this classification describes the fracture line as either transverse (going across the bone), oblique (going at a curved or sloped angle), spiral (twisting of the fractured bone), or segmental (in more than one piece).

5. Subgroup - this classification describes other important features and potential complications of the fracture. Stability, displacement, shortening, angulation, and such are often addressed.

ACUTE STAGE SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

This stage is characterized by swelling, redness, pain, and possibly a local sensation of heat, indicating inflammation. If coolness makes your pain feel better, then the Acute Stage Treatment is recommended.

ACUTE STAGE SYMPTOMS:

The acute stage starts the moment an injury occurs and lasts until the swelling and inflammation are gone. The swelling is the result of the blockage of blood, tissue fluids and circulation in the injured area because their normal movement has been disrupted by the force of the injury. Just like cars back up behind a traffic jam, causing congestion, exhaust and overheating; blood and fluids back up behind the injured area, causing pain, inflammation, lumps and swelling.

The sensation of heat is due to the warming action of the blood and fluids overheating in the injured area as they back up and accumulate. Stiffness and decreased mobility are due to spasms in tendons and ligaments that have contracted reflexively beyond their normal range from the impact of the injury.

As ligaments and tendons stretch and tear, blood from ruptured blood vessels becomes trapped in the local tissues. As the trapped blood clots up, it sticks the tissues together creating adhesions. Adhesions cause pain, inflammation and restricted movement because the layers of tissue that used to slide smoothly across one another now adhere and snap which interferes with normal functioning. It is essential to break up clotted blood as quickly as possible to prevent adhesions and scar tissue from forming.

During the acute stage it is very important to restore normal circulation to the injured area, break up clotted blood and stagnant fluids, reduce swelling, and reduce the redness and heat associated with inflammation. By restoring the flow of blood, fluids, and circulation in the injured area, then pain is relieved, damaged tissues can regenerate with healthy functional tissue, and the injured area can strengthen and regain it's mobility.

ACUTE STAGE TREATMENT:

1. Apply theSinew Herbal Iceon your injured area to reduce redness, swelling, and inflammation while dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to help restore normal circulation to the injured area. This first-aid treatment is used in place of ice to significantly speed up the healing process. It reduces the swelling and inflammation more effectively than ice, allowing you to more quickly regain range of motion. Acute Sinew Liniment can be used in-between applications.

Ice is not recommended because it does not help repair damaged tissues and keeps everything in the injured area frozen, causing the stagnation of blood and fluids and the contraction of muscles, tendons and ligaments. In Chinese sports medicine ice is not used and is considered a culprit in injuries that donÃ­t heal well.

3. TheSinew Sports Massage Oilis recommended for use before and after exercise, sports and strenuous activity. It warms and stimulates your muscles, increases circulation and relieves tightness, hence improving your performance and helping to prevent injury.

CHRONIC STAGE SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

This stage begins once the swelling and inflammation are gone, but you still feel pain, stiffness, weakness, and/or sensitivity in cold and damp weather. If heat makes your pain feel better, then the Chronic Stage Treatment is recommended.

CHRONIC STAGE SYMPTOMS:

The chronic stage begins once the swelling and inflammation are gone, but you still feel aching pain and stiffness. This is because there are still accumulations of stagnant blood and fluids in the injured area that are blocking circulation and blood supply to damaged tissues, creating residual pain, stiffness and weakness. You may actually feel hard nodules like sand in the tissue, indicating accumulation, calcification, and adhesions, which all cause pain, stiffness, and joint instability.

Your injured area may feel more sensitive to the cold and ache in cold and damp weather due to impaired circulation. When you move your injured area you may hear a clicking or popping sound from the tendons and ligaments slipping very slightly in and out of their natural alignment indicating weakness and joint instability, causing chronic pain and a cycle of reinjury. These symptoms are often the result of failure to treat the injury properly from the outset and overicing.

Increasing circulation and blood supply to the damaged tissues is very important in treating chronic injuries because tendons and ligaments do not have an extensive direct supply of blood. That is why chronic injuries can be slow to heal. Increasing local circulation also prevents cold and dampness from penetrating the injured area, preventing pain and stiffness.

During the chronic stage it is very important to break up remaining accumulations of blood and fluids, and increase circulation and blood supply to the damaged tissues. By increasing circulation and blood flow in the injured area, then pain and stiffness is relieved, and the tendons and ligaments can strengthen to restore stability.

CHRONIC STAGE TREATMENT:

1. Apply theSinew Injury Poulticeon your injured area to relieve residual pain and stiffness, significantly stimulate circulation and blood flow to damaged tissues, and further promote the healing of overstretched tendons and ligaments. The Sinew Injury Poultice is particularly useful if your injured area is more painful in cold and damp weather. Acute Sinew Liniment can be used in-between applications.

2. TheSinew Sports Massage Oilis recommended for use before and after exercise, sports and strenuous activity. It warms and stimulates your muscles, increases circulation and relieves tightness, hence improving your performance and helping to prevent injury.

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After 36 years of running, I've been hobbled for over a year by knee pain. With mileage, speed and fun drastically cut and all standard remedies exhausted, I stumbled onto Sinew products through an ad in Runners World. With rather low expectations I placed my order. I received my Sinew Sports Massage Oil and Chronic Sinew Liniment Friday and what I want you to know is simple: These products are bottled miracles. Two applications and two pain free runs later I'm as good as new. Anything that will do that for a 73 year old runner has to be a miracle. - Bert C., AL

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